Mess Masters: Best Wet-Dry Vacs

Basement and garage spills become much less annoying when you're equipped with a capable cleaner. We found the best wet/dry vacs for the job. To test them, we put these versatile suction machines in the hands of industrial window and drywall installers, who subjected them to buckets of dirty water, piles of plywood sawdust, mounds of broken glass, and heaps of filter-clogging drywall dust. The vacs were evaluated not only on suction power, but also on overall build quality, noise, versatility, ease of use, and value. Not surprisingly, our priciest pick was also the best one. The others, while a fraction of the price, are also strong and can do the job, but we included our peeves with each of them. Click the gallery below to find the right one for you. Launch Gallery >>